Windmill-wheel



:(No Model.)

P. B. STEARNS. WINDMILL WHEEL.

PatentedDec. 5, 1893.

-132 0672 $01. fiecij. tea/r1113;

Nrrnn STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. STEARNS, OF RUSHVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEARNS MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF OON'NERSVILLE, INDIANA.

WINDMILLrWHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 510,054, dated December 5, 1893.

Application filed October 10, 1891. semi 110.408.370. (No model.)

mills and has special reference to the con -v struction of the felly and the method of at-. taching the fellies to the arms and the sails to the fellies.

The object of the invention is to construct a wheel that will present an unbroken front or face, that is, in which none of the sails are left out of the wheel over the arms.

Another object of the invention is. to construct a felly having the maximum strength and offering the minimum amount of surface resistance to the passage of the wind through the wheel.

Still anotherobject is to afford a simple, inexpensive, and at the same time a very secure and durable means of fastening the sails to the fellies and also to aiford a cheap and durable connection between the fellies and arms such. as is also capable of adjustment to meet any variation in contact between the fellies and arms.

Another still more important object is at-- method will last at least one half longer than when constructed in the ordinary way.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a full front View of a wheel constructed in accordance with the spirit of my invention; Fig. 2, a detail in side elevation of the felly showing the arm'and three of the sailsin cross section, the latter being secured by riveting, and showing one of the sail spaces left vacant on the felly to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 3, is a top view of the detail shown in Fig.2, the sails immediately over the arm being broken away in part to show the joint between the two sections of the felly and the adjustable connection between the felly and arm. Fig. 4 is a I modification of the felly in which an ear instead of a rivet is formed integral with the felly and has a hole therethrough for the insertion of a bolt or rivet by which the sail is fastened to the felly, and Fig. 5, is a top view of same, showing the sail removed.

Similar letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A represents the felly, B the arms and O the sails. I

D is thespider to which the arms B are securedfin the usual manner. The arms radiate from the center and form the supports for the fellies, which are curved and arearranged in adouble series of circles (as shown at A, and A in'Fig. 1),placed a sufficient distance apart to afford the proper support for the sails.

. The fellies will be made preferably of malleable iron in sections long enough to reach 8c from one arm to the other where they will be joined together and fastened to the arm in 'the'manner hereinafter described. I have found that one eighth of an inch in thickness andan average of one inch in width will make a felly sufficiently strong for my purpose but it is not desired to limit this invention to the dimensions herein given. The fellies will be placed with their narrowest dimensions out, or next to the sails which arrangement presents the narrowest dimensions against the wind and offers the least obstruction to the passage of the air through the wheel, and also places the greatest strength of material in the position to best resist the strain which the felly will have to bear.

A series of steps a are formed on the outer edge of the fellies to receive the sails. The inclination of the steps corresponds to the inclination of the sails with relation to the face I00 substantial manner.

of the wheel. A hearing or stop 0. against which the lower edge of the sail rests, is formed integral with the step and is shaped so as to overlap the edge of the sail forming a dovetail therewith as shown in Fig. 2, and assists materially in forming a secure attachment of ,the sail to the-folly. The lug a formed integral with the fellyand projected up from the step, is extended through the sail and riveted 011 the opposite side as shown at 9', thus securing the sail in a simple and The washer 'r' is interposed between the point and sail in the usual manner of using washers.

The sails C will preferably be of wood, out in thin strips of wedge shaped pattern, 1011- gitudinally, although it may be ofmetal instead of wood. The outer edge of the sails willbe beveled as shown in the drawings in orderto offer as little resistance aspossible to the wind and the inner edge will be beveled in a corresponding direction so as to fit into, the dovetail notch a The sections of the felly are bolted together 3 as shown at (1', Figs. 2 and 3, the oifset diallowing the alignment of the sections to be pre- I served as is shown. The tongue 6' projected laterally from the section Grand the tongues? projected in like manner from the section G form together aslotted ear E and through this slot the bolt H which is continued through the arm 13, is projected, and by means of the nntif h on the oppositeside of the arm, isfastened i so as to secure the fellies to the arm. The! slot allows of an adjustment which is very del sirable. l

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and the lug a forming the rivet for securing the 5 sails to the arms is discarded and an ear M; integral with the ifellyis formed. This ear is 1 parallel with the lower face of the sails and is 3 the arms, arms B to support the telly and the.

sails C, in combination with a metallic felly A adapted to be secured to the arms and to form a support for the sails which will be fastened thereto, the said felly being formed in sections of greater width than thickness, and

l attached to the arms of the wheel so as to present the narrowestdiinensions of the felly to the wind, and having a series of steps formed on its outer edgeto receive the sails; said steps being sloped to correspondtothe angle ofl the sails with the face of the wheel and hav ng the cut-under notch a and the lateral pro ect'ion M and fastenings r for securing thesalls to the folly, and the said felly having at one 1' end the lateral projection e and at the other end the lateral projection 6 thesections hav- 'ing overlapping joints and bolts passing through said joints and connecting the sections into one continuous felly whereby also the projections e and e will be brought together and secured in pairs with an interyeningspace between themjthrongh WhIChfi-bfl projected therethrough and through the arm will form an adjustable attachment of the telly to the arm, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature n presence of two witnesses.

FRED B. STEARNS.

Witnesses:

BEN L. SMITH, NED ABERCROMBIE. 

